Road Unchosen
by LizaL
Summary: A "What if" scenario of a non-recruited Elissa Cousland surviving the attack at Highever, and doing her darnest to revenge her family, end the blight and save Ferelden with the help of a few new and old faces.
1. Prologue: what must be must be

Prologue:

What Must Be, Must Be

In front of her was darkness. She dared not look behind at the mass of flames that engulfed what had once been her home. Her face was stained with tears, her hands with blood not her own. She felt as if her mind was about to go at any moment. In fact, she couldn't be certain she hadn't lost it already. Though she knew she must keep running, as her very life depended on it, she had to stop and take stock of the situation. Her parents were dead. The words in her head didn't make sense. How could that be? how could any of this be?

Just then Erlinda, finally noticing the absence of her lady, doubled back, letting the soldiers in front run off ahead. She saw her lady standing with a look so tortured it wiped clean her usual graceful beauty. Erlinda ran to her " My lady we must keep moving" she said to her, as she pulled at he noble woman's arm. Elissa didn't move, nor did her expression change. Erlinda pulled harder, her voice becoming ever more desperat. "Please my lady, please, we must keep moving". This was beginning to be too much for Erlinda to bear. From the first moment she had realized what was happening, that the castle had been stormed, that everyone inside was being massacred, though terrified, she had persevered. She had been found by Ser Gilmore, they had in turned found her lady and the Teryna. They were now safe outside the castle; her, her lady, Ser Gilmore and two soldiers of Highever. Somehow, by the grace of the Maker, they had managed to escape. But Erlinda had looked on as Elissa held to her dying father, whom they had found lying bleeding on the castle larder floor, desperatley pleading him to stand and flee with them. She had seen her lady's heart break even more when her mother had told her she was staying with her father, submitting herself to certain death. All this she had borne, she did not know how, but the thought of her lady suddenly giving in was what was bringing the gravity of the situation down upon Erlinda. If she couldn't make it, there was no hope for any of them.

Finally, Elissa Cousland turned to Erlinda, dropping her expression for one less anguished and haggard. Erlinda heard a few small staggered breaths and saw her lady look at her with eerily vacant eyes. "There dead" she said, with a voice almost completely devoid of emotion, and with that she resumed her running.


	2. Chapter1:This and All Else is Never Easy

**Three things you should know about me.**

**I can't spell worth shit! If it wasn't for spell check I don't think I would have made it this far in life.**

**I usually write late at night, due to the fact I have been working night shifts for almost a year now and they have totally ruined my sleep schedule, and there's not a hell of a lot to do at 4 am so hence why I took up writing fan fiction. Also being up late makes my spelling even worse.**

**I love me some smut! So you have that to look forward to.**

**Oh, also this is my first fan fiction. Comments greatly appreciated. I hope that was a nice friendly intro. Now back at it!**

Chapter 1:

This and All Else is Never Easy

Elissa woke up too numb to care her body hurt after sleeping on the cold hard ground. If you could call what she had been doing sleep. To her it felt more like a frantic struggle between utter exhaustion and the terrifying images that flashed into view as soon as she closed her eyes. She was too tired to actually be awake, but too restless to fall asleep. This uncomfortable middle ground meant she again found herself un-rested after five days. Once again she also found herself waking up in complete darkness. She was in a cellar, somewhere in the part of the Bannorn just south of Highever Castle. It had been nothing but cellars, and basements for the past four nights. The first night had not allowed for sleep, as she had been forced to keep moving to put as much distance between her and the castle as possible. She was in hiding. The Arl's men were scavenging the area looking for her and her companions. The second night they had stayed in the basement of local tavern, the proprietor being some kind of relative of one of the knights accompanying her. Ser Parith, she believed his name to be. The next night had been the cellar of a local wealthy merchant. He had been high enough up in the world to have had dealings with her father, and showed his respect toward the man by temporarily hiding his daughter. They were getting closer to the edge of the Coastlands, nearing the central Bannorn and away from Arl Howe's reach. But until they where out of Highever, they were not safe. They kept moving, knowing the Arl had whatever men he could spare after them, as well as Mabari hounds. Thinking of the dogs made her shutter, both in fear of what they might do if they ever found her, and briefly she thought of another friend lost in the battle.

She heard a stirring and someone let out the resigning breath of someone waking up against their will. Being in total darkness, she could not tell who it was. She whispered in the dark "Who is that" to hear a familiar masculine voice answer her " It's me your lady". Ser Gilmore. "Wake the others" she said "It's best we get on with it immediately". She heard him move and his voice call out the name of one of his fellow knights as he shook them awake. Deciding their was no need for him to complete the task alone she reached her hand out in the darkness searching for the nearest body she could find. She grabbed hold and shook gently. " My Lady?" the voice asked in the darkness. "Yes Erlinda" Elissa answered " We need to wake now".

Soon they were all awake and Ser Tommel lit a match and quickly found one of the candles they had been given if at any point they needed light. In the dim light, she could see their faces with enough detail to know they were all as tired as she was. They were also looking at her questioningly, waiting for her to begin talking.

" Right" she said. She waited a brief second before she said what had to come next, stalling as what she had to say was almost painful "We are out of options" she said, then paused to let the gravity of the situation sink in " We can no longer stay here, it would only be a matter of time before the Arl found us, and there are no others we can rely on for shelter and secrecy. Plus doing so is putting said individuals in harms way and..." she faltered " I rather not continue doing that." She stopped as for some reason making this little speech felt more emotionally draining then it should be. She knew what she had to do, what she had to say, but doing so seemed almost painful. "What do you suggest we do your ladyship?" asked Ser Gilmore. " We must make the final push to leave Highever." She said, and part of her felt defeated with those words. She had to concede; the Arl had won. Highever was his, and Elissa was being driven from the only home she had ever known. At least for now. " But how my lady?" asked Ser Parith. " Yes" said Elissa " Much easier said then done." She was so uncertain. About everything. Sure she had a plan, but she had no way of telling whether is was a good plan. Part of her wanted to stay in this cold dank cellar with Merchant Telmin's wines and various cure meats, but she knew staying in here was just as uncertain as venturing outside. Still, it somehow felt more safe. " They will be monitoring the main roads, or any of the roads for that matter, so...We don't take roads. We head through the woods, staying as far from the main roads as humanly possible" as she said this she knew if the Arl was smart he would have thought of this as well. Still, as the woods would be less densely populated then any of the roads out of Highever, it was their best chance of avoiding the Arl's men and anyone who could report them. " And where are we to go" Ser Gilmore again. " That is a very good question" and one she hadn't asked herself, much to chagrin " The West Hills" she said, it immediately becoming clear to her " that is the closest of the Bannorns". She looked them over, waiting for one of them to pipe in and say anything. Tell her the flaws in her plan, how thread bare it was. No one said anything. Neither did they look assured. How could they be when she herself was far from being so. Finally Ser Gilmore spoke again " Alright my lady. Now when do you propose we leave?" "Immediately after we have eaten" She said, for there was no point in them being both tired and hungry.

The merchant had given then permission to eat whatever food they found lying about them. Though she had no appetite, she forced herself to eat. Each bit was laboured. She let Erlinda have a few bits before sending the Elf off to go and fetch the Merchant. Erlinda came back within a few moments " The merchant is not in" " Well that's not surprising. The merchant is a very busy man, and business doesn't stop just because your Teryn has been usurp." Said Elissa "He said he would leave us clothing somewhere in his study. Please fetch them for us" and with that Erlinda was off. She returned with said clothing, and dumped the garments on the ground then started to inspect each piece. They were simple, clean, innocuous looking and would go along way in getting them out of Highever. Walking around in armour was too much of a dead give away.

With her companions eating Elissa thought over her plan. A clarity she had lacked before washed over her. It was no good. There were too many holes, too many things that could go wrong, too much reliance on assumption. The assumption the woods would not be monitored because the focus would be on the roads was a poor one. Plan for what your enemy can do, not what you think or hope they will do. Though she had entertained the idea the Arl had suddenly gone mad, his plan had been precised with it's timing and execution. He wasn't stupid. Her plan was far from perfect but she felt it was her only option. What better strategy was she supposed to muster after days of not sleeping, barely eating, and with so little time to think amongst her mental fog and confusion. She looked at her surroundings. So much wine. Telmin was a wine merchant after all, but this was his personal collection. He obviously loved the stuff. She had never cared for it, never liking the way it made her feel. But right at that moment she thought about how people often said it helped you to forget your worries, and that's what she wanted more then anything. She heard first you had to drink enough to drown yourself. She had never had more then one glass worth, but she felt a little like drowning right now. Maybe with the wine contained in those barrels off to the side in the corner, that should be enough to do it. She hadn't known wine came in barrels, rather large ones at that. She had only ever seen it poured out of a bottle. How much wine did one of those things hold exactly? And suddenly it all became clear. She must have gasped because Erlinda asked with great concern if she was alright "I'm fine Erlinda" replied Elissa "I'm...I'm good...maybe even... no I'm good...I...I have a plan" she stared at the confusion on all their faces " We know my lady, we've just heard it" " No not that plan, a different plan, one to get us out of the city" and with that she went over to one of the wine barrels, fiddling with it for a while before finally realizing how to remove the top off of one of them and tipping it over letting it's content spill onto the ground. " It's going to be a tight fit" she said " I think we will need to remove our armour".


End file.
